


Handyman

by Lennelle



Series: Next of Kin [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Delusions, Gen, Mental health institution, Sam Winchester and Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 07:50:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9874298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lennelle/pseuds/Lennelle
Summary: Sam is having a good day when Jody visits.





	

It's cold, grey skies heavy with oncoming rain. The weather has been terrible lately, but that hasn't stopped Jody. She parks in the usual space, the wind batting at her as soon as she opens her car door. She squints as rain starts spitting and quickly grabs the Tupperware box that sits on the passenger seat.

The staff know her, have seen her most days for the past five weeks, and they smile and point her towards the recreation room. This place is nicer than the one she'd found Sam in, the windows are bigger, the walls are brighter, the air is fresher. Luckily, it's only a forty minute drive from Jody's house. She could visit Sam every day, if she wanted. She doesn't, and she tells herself it's because she's busy with work.

Jody has always liked the Winchesters. Well, maybe not always. But over the years she's developed a soft spot. Bobby, Dean and Sam, like three friends she's not sure she ever wanted. There's only Sam left, now. Even then, there isn't much of Sam left.

She's happy to find him in the rec room. It means he's having a good day, as much of a good day as Sam can have. He's sitting at a table by the window reading one of the battered old books they keep on the games shelf.

He smiles when he sees her and she bends down to give him a hug, which he reciprocates happily. He's had a shave since the last time she saw him a couple of days ago, and the bandages on his arms are gone, revealing a few healing scratches.

"What are you reading?" Jody asks conversationally. She slides the plastic box of white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies over. A couple of weeks ago, Sam had told her they were his favourite as a kid and she'd been determined to make him some. She's never been much of a baker, but she's new to a lot of things recently.

Sam glances at the book's cover. "Um. _Heaven on Earth: 101 happy poems_ ," he reads. "I dunno. It's the only thing here I haven't read."

"I'll ask the staff if I can bring you some new reading material," Jody offers. She leans over to open the box and hands Sam a cookie. "Eat," she says.

Sam asks her about her day, as he always does, and nibbles the biscuit.

"Same old," Jody tells him. "A bunch of paper work at the precinct, keeping the newbies in check, working a house robbery."

"Nothing I can help with?"

"Not unless you know where Mrs Gumeski's antique lamp went."

Sam huffs a laugh. "I was talking about hauntings. That kind of thing."

Jody stiffens momentarily. She usually tries to avoid this subject around Sam. "Don't worry," she says. "Nothing weird is showing up in town. If it was, I'd call in an expert."

"I'm an expert," Sam says, frowning.

"I know that," Jody hedges. "But you don't need to worry about that. You just need to rest."

"I get kind of sick hanging around here," Sam says, absently plucking his hospital wrist band. "There's only so many heaters I can fix and sinks I can unblock."

Jody sighs. This had started two weeks ago. One day she had walked into Sam's room to find him standing on a chair trying to 'fix' the fan. Apparently, he's been trying to 'fix' things around the hospital ever since, usually with the janitor trailing after him to put things back the way they were.

"I'll bring you some books," Jody says, trying to change the subject. One of the reasons Jody hasn't brought any books before is because Sam isn't allowed to read fiction, not while he still struggles to separate reality from what's in his head.

Sam isn't listening to her, his head is turned and he's focused on one of the nurses across the room. He calls her over.

"Hey, Sam," she says.

Sam gets to his feet and kisses the nurse firmly on the lips. Jody is more shocked than the nurse is, who just seems to take it in stride. She gently pushes Sam away and gets him to sit back down. "What have we talked about, Sam?"

Sam doesn't seem to be paying attention. He turns to Jody with a bright grin on his face and he says, "Jody, this is Amelia. She's my girlfriend."

Jody blinks at him, then turns to the nurse. Her name tag does indeed read _Amelia_ , at least Sam got that right.

Amelia frowns sympathetically. "If only I could be that Lucky, Sam. But I'm engaged, remember?" she says, holding up her left hand to show Sam her diamond ring.

The smile on Sam's face slowly melts away and his cheeks redden with embarrassment. "Right. I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I remember now. Your fiance's name is Don."

"That's right, Sam," Amelia says gently. "It's very good that you remembered." She looks between the two of them. "I have things I need to be doing. Do you need anything before I go?"

Sam shakes his head stiffly. Jody smiles politely as Amelia leaves. She glances across the table to where Sam is hanging his head miserably. She reaches over and places her hand over his, rubbing his knuckles gently.

"You're doing so much better than you were," she says.

Sam doesn't say anything.

"The doctor was saying you're doing really well."

"Why does he keep giving me more pills then?" Sam asks, jaw tight.

"He's helping you get better, sweetie. He knows what he's doing."

Sam finally looks up, then carefully glances around the room before leaning in close. "He's a demon," he whispers.

"Who is?" Jody dares to ask.

"The doctor," Sam says, like it's obvious.

Jody sighs. "He's not a demon, Sam. I checked myself. I checked all the staff."

"His eyes turned black."

"I don't think - "

"Dean believes me."

Jody closes her eyes for a moment, she takes his hand in hers again. "Sam, sweetie, Dean's gone. Do you remember that we talked about this? Dean died a couple of months ago."

"He didn't. He wouldn't leave me alone. I - I _talked_ to him. Not long ago. I was talking to him."

"When did you talk to him?" Jody asks patiently.

"It was - I talked..." he pauses, brow furrowing in concentration. "He was here..." he says distractedly, glancing around like Dean might suddenly appear and prove his point.

"I'm here, Sam," Jody says gently. "Dean's gone, and I know it's hard. I know what loss like that feels like. There were times I thought I saw Owen, or heard his voice. But it was just my brain wishing he was still there. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Sam looks at her for a moment, intently enough that Jody wonders if he's really seeing her. He pulls his hand from her grip and gets to his feet. It seems like her visit has been cut short. At times like this, when Sam remembers the truth, he seems to cloud over with grief, sinking into himself, waiting until he's next pulled back into his fantasy.

Walking away he mumbles, "It was easier with the devil in my head."


End file.
